• ECA, Afenifere, others speak on president’s position

From Godwin Tsa, Fred Ezeh, Ndubuisi Orji, Magnus Eze, Abuja, Aloysius Attah, Onitsha, Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki, Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka

 

Kudos and knocks have trailed the 57th independence speech by President Muhammadu Buhari, especially his claim that the clamour for restructuring of the polity had been hijacked by elements bent on dismembering the nation.
While he agreed that the agitation for restructuring was legitimate, he directed agitators to resort to the national and state Assemblies, which he said were the only structures constitutionally empowered to restructure the country through constitutional amendment.
According to Buhari: “Recent calls on restructuring, quite proper in a legitimate debate, has let in highly irresponsible groups to call for dismemberment of the country. We cannot and we will not allow such advocacy. As a young Army officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in our tragic civil war costing about two million lives, resulting in fearful destruction and untold suffering. Those who are agitating for a rerun were not born by 1967 and have no idea of the horrendous consequences of the civil conflict, which we went through. I am very disappointed that responsible leaders of these communities do not warn their hot-headed youths what the country went through. Those who were there should tell those who were not there, the consequences of such folly. At all events, proper dialogue and any desired constitutional changes should take place in a rational manner, at the national and state Assemblies. These are the proper and legal fora for national debate, not some lopsided, undemocratic body with predetermined set of objectives.”
While some persons and groups including Afenifere, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abuja-based rights lawyer, Ugochukwu Hanks-Ezekiel and the Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA) faulted the president’s position on restructuring, others including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Okoi Obono-Obla threw their weights behind him.
Outspoken lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) described the national day broadcast as disappointing, unpresidential and unreconciliatory. According to him, Buhari left the real issues and pursued trifles.
“The speech was bereft of nobility of  statesmanship and devoid of a calm grasp and appraisals of the dire straits Nigeria is currently in. The broadcast was rabidly narcistic, parochial, nepotic and clannish, as it failed to see anything wrong with the blatant and well reported threats by the Arewa youths to quit fellow Nigerians from their domains.The speech followed his now well worn out fixation of perceived hatred for the Igbo race, whose leadership he needlessly and needlessly  scurrilised and lampooned for allegedly being behind IPOB and other  agitations. I didn’t hear him mention anything about gun-wielding herdsmen that literally vanquish citizens in their own homesteads across Nigeria. The president celebrated mediocrity and edified his government’s non-performance two and half years down the line.”
Notwithstanding the criticism, presidential aide, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla said Buhari’s speech adequately and frankly covered the grounds without playing to the gallery.
“President Buhari is candid, frank and straight. He is not given to playing to the gallery to impress or using subterfuge to hoodwink the country just to score cheap political points. He is a true leader. There is just no way this country can be restructured other than through the procedure laid down by the Constitution for constitutional amendment. We cannot supplant or discard the present constitution no matter how bad, inelegant or clumsy it is. Otherwise, we are seeking for toppling of the present constitutional order under the guise of restructuring. And the president has vowed that he cannot be a party to such.”
The pan-Yoruba group also faulted Buhari over claim that the clamour for restructuring has been hijacked by those seeking a break up of the country.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin told Daily Sun in a telephone interview that Buhari missed the point arguing that clamour for restructuring of the polity was different from agitations for secession.
“The president should be reminded that restructuring and secession are different. It is very wrong for the president to say that the clamour for restructuring has been hijacked by secessionist. It is the failure to address the clamour for restructuring that is fueling agitations for secession,” Odumakin stated.
Rather than talking tough, Buhari must embrace dialogue, said the National vice-chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) South East region, Chief Austin Umahi.
“I don’t understand what he meant by the word ‘hijacked. There’s no way we will discuss anything that pertains to Nigeria without putting our leaders into calculation. There is no way it can be hijacked by people from the outside the leadership of the South East.”
The PDP chieftain who described Igbo as the most peaceful people in the country, pointed out that much as the larger population of Nigerians desired restructuring, the people of the South East were pursuing it with dignity.
“We don’t condone violence; we don’t encourage it and we will continue to discourage it. And most importantly, we don’t believe in violence. If there are some people that are causing violence, it should not be generalised when referring to the zone. The people of the South East are very peaceful,” he said.
But the National Auditor of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief George Moughalu said the president, in his speech, was clear about the unity of Nigeria.
“Government is not saying that they are not going to restructure but what we are saying is that you must separate restructuring from dismembering the country. We must separate this because a lot of people think what restructuring means is that we must dismember this country and Mr. President is saying no. The position of the president and the government is that we must reconcile. Nigeria is one united country, we must continue talking. Negotiation is part of life and politics in itself. What the president said is apt.”
The Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA), however, alleged a secret agreement between opponents of restructuring and certain southern politicians to sell a perverted version of restructuring code-named power devolution to the citizens.
According to ECA’s scribe, Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko: “This watered down version of restructuring, which hopes to retain the 774 LGAs and the 36 states structure is provocative and designed to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians. This northern version which is being marketed by southern hirelings of their northern masters is fake, uninspiring, unworkable which is designed to pull wool over the eyes of Nigerians, will never be acceptable to Nigerians.
“The restructuring Nigerians need and the kind that can save Nigeria, is simply going back to the first republic format of regional governments as federating units under fiscal federalism of derivation formula of the 1960/1993 constitution.”
Also, reacting, Hanks-Ezekiel said Buhari in his speech, merely played the “blame it on someone” card, instead of taking responsibility as leader of the country.
“It is ironic that the same president who stoked the fire of regional agitation with his infamous 5 percent categorisation of the South-east region, will turn around to blame the leaders of the South east for the reactions of the people of that region,” Hanks-Ezekiel stated.

Nigeria at 57: Governors, clerics, others preach unity, patriotism

By Our Correspondents

As Nigeria celebrates her 57th Independence anniversary, governors across the country have tasked the citizens on unity and peaceful coexistence.
The governors, in their goodwill messages, urged Nigerians to shun tendencies that are capable of pushing the country into chaos and anarchy.
In his goodwill message yesterday Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje cautioned Nigerians against “misguided hate speeches and violent agitations propelled by some few disgruntled elements who are driven by selfish reasons that may result in carnage.”
Ganduje reminded Nigerians of the immense sacrifices of the nations forefathers, such as Sir Abubakar Tafewa Balewa, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who had struggled for the independence of Nigeria from colonialism.
He urged Nigerians to walk the path of dialogue and avail themselves of constitutional avenues to present their grievances with decorum .
Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, tasked Nigerians to re-awake the spirit of ‘Nigerianness’ in them in order to surmount the socio-economic and political challenges confronting the nation.
He urged the people not to let the sacrifice and indomitable spirit of the nation’s founding fathers to be defeated, by shunning divisive tendencies.
Lalong kicks against disintegration
Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, admonished Nigerians to stop carrying arms against each other.
He expressed dismay over those beating drums of disintegration of the country and urged various regions to pursue genuine reconciliation that will strengthen the bond of peace and unity in diversity.
“In the midst of clamour for agitation and restructuring, Nigeria still stands strong in unity. I am sure if a referendum is conducted on whether Nigeria should break up or remain united, those who want the country to break up will not be up to 10 percent,”he said.
Ondo State governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), called on Nigerians to cast aside divisive tendencies and acrimonious and build a nation with shared destiny.
Although he admitted that Nigeria’s itinerary to nationhood had been tortuous, bumpy and confounding in the last 57 years, he, however, called for continued co-existence among the citizens.
We need to develop our resources -Okorocha
Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, said Nigerians must begin to look inward and develop the resources of the land to help build the nation. He said both the leaders and the led must never be found wanting in this regard since we all represent the last hope of this generation
Okorocha called on Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of sacrifice, patriotism and love. He said that is the only way in which the nation can actualise its potentials as a great nation.
He thanked Nigeria’s founding fathers who, he said, had the “courage and spirit to fight for the nation’s political independence from the British colonial masters,” stressing, “their labour shall not be in vain.”
Ugwuanyi promises more infrastructure projects
As Nigeria celebrates her 57th Independence Anniversary, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has reassured residents of the state of a visible increase in critical infrastructure across the state “now that the rain is fast receding”, adding that “more contractors will return to old sites, while work will commence at new sites”
Ugwuanyi reiterated his administration’s commitment to peace, national unity and safety of all Nigerians and foreigners residing in Enugu State.
“Let me also seize this opportunity to enjoin Nigerians to continue to be their brother’s keeper. Like every family, we are bound to have our disagreements, but what divides us is far less than what unites us. Let us continue to emphasise those things that unite and make us great and eschew those that divide us,” he said.
Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, enjoined Cross Riverians and indeed, Nigerians to be patient and hopeful, as the country would surely surmount her challenges.
The governor noted that despite the myriads of challenges that have confronted Nigeria in recent times, the country has made some giant strides in her march towards greatness.
Also, Chairman, Kaduna Baptist Conference of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), Reverend Banjo Ajao, yesterday said Nigeria’s future as real giant of Africa is in the hands of its citizens. Ajao said there would not have been agitations here and there, if the country’s resources were judiciously utilised.
“Even though the country was established on a faulty foundation some 57 years ago, because that Independence was not properly discussed, we can make it work; and, to me, the only way forward for us to take our rightful position, in economic and international politics, is not really in the hand of political office holders, many of whom are corrupt, but depends largely on the citizens themselves, who must learn to do the right thing, knowing that God is watching.”

 

 

 

57th independence anniversary:  Nigerians not happy, says Catholic Bishop

From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Paulinus Ezeokafor, has asked the Federal Government to use the occasion of the 57th Independence anniversary of the country to address vexatious issues.
Speaking to newsmen at St Patricks Cathedral Awka, the bishop  said matters of inequalities and marginalisation of some areas of the country are real and should be addressed to assuage various agitations in the country.
Ezeokafor, who  called  for a Nigerian nation anchored on egalitarianism,  devoid of marginalisation and inequality, also said for the unity of the country to be real,  every section should be  given equal representation in the polity.
He said no part of the nation should be opportunity-cost to the other.
“The country is marked by tension, agitations and general sense of hopelessness and dissatisfaction as a result of years of injustice, inequality, corruption and impunity. The unity of Nigeria is important, but, there is no doubt that we have been long in the union and all efforts should be made to sustain it.
“The truth remains that if we are dealing with individuals and groups with interest, then, there is need for negotiation and restructuring to ensure a just and fair egalitarian society,” Ezeokafor said.
The bishop also urged the federal government to listen to its people and allow wisdom to prevail, saying restructuring will guarantee devolution of powers to enable states control their resources.
He urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the leadership of the country, urging also the need for re-orientation of Nigerians towards patriotism.
Meanwhile, an industrialist and candidate of the Progressive People’s Alliance in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, Godwin Chukwunaenye Ezeemo, has identified electricity as “the mother of Nigeria’s problems.
He called on the federal government to give a decisive solution to the epileptic power problem in the country, “if they are serious about moving it forward.”
Reflecting on Nigeria at 57 celebrations, Ezeemo, while congratulating Nigeria for surviving as a country for so long, opined that constant power supply is the first indicator that a country is on the sure path of sustainable development.
“Nigeria, right from independence, has had the resources to achieve steady and clean energy for all her citizens but has not been able to do so because public funds meant for it has been going into private pockets.
“Lack of the constant power supply has been crippling our economy. Until we achieve this, whatever else we are doing is tantamount to playing.”
He condemned past leaders for not identifying and addressing constant power supply as a matter of necessity.